Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) blasted Paterson school board officials on Tuesday and called on the state to take over disciplinary powers after the district rolled back punishment against employees involved in the recent basketball scandal at Eastside High.

In a letter sent to New Jersey Commissioner of Education Kimberley Harrington's office and obtained by NJ Advance Media, Codey accused Paterson's board members of "a severe lapse in operations and personnel oversight" and "leaving the residents of Paterson and the state to wonder if cheating is acceptable."

"This system put the welfare of many of these children in serious jeopardy and showed a complete disregard for their well-being," Codey wrote in the letter.

Earlier this year, a series of NJ Advance Media reports uncovered an international pipeline of talented girls and boys basketball players that fed Eastside's powerhouse teams the past six years, drawing allegations of human trafficking from immigration experts. Six players from Nigeria and Puerto Rico lived with boys coach Juan Griles in a two-bedroom condo, while other girls players lived with other district coaches or employees.

The state Attorney General's Office and New Jersey Immigration and Customs Enforcement opened investigations into Eastside, and the state's governing body for high school sports levied unprecedented sanctions against the school and coaches.

After initially ruling in April to deny yearly pay increases for girls coach Ray Lyde Jr. and secretary Patty Granados -- two employees implicated in the scandal -- Paterson's school board reversed the decision and both will receive contractual pay raises. In addition, Karen Johnson, a principal at Eastside who board members allowed to retire at the end of the school year rather than face punishment, is now on extended medical leave and remains on the district payroll.

Paterson's school district also is appealing the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's decision to ban both the boys and girls teams from the 2017-18 state tournament at a meeting Wednesday in Robbinsville. Griles also is expected to appeal his two-year suspension handed down by the NJSIAA.

"While the school board seems fit to move on as if nothing ever happened, there is still an ongoing federal investigation into the practices of both basketball programs," Codey wrote in the letter to Harrington.

"The Paterson School District is under state intervention, which permits you to intervene in the areas of instruction and program, operations, personnel, and fiscal management," Codey continued. "The School Board has shown that they are not capable of properly handling the investigation and subsequent punishments."

David Saenz Jr., press secretary for the department of education, confirmed Harrington's office received Codey's letter Tuesday and said it is under review.

Paterson board of education member Manuel Martinez declined comment when reached by phone Tuesday, and board president Christopher Irving did not return a message seeking comment.

If Griles wins his appeal Wednesday, he would be allowed to re-apply for the Eastside coaching job, according to a story by the Paterson Press.

Meanwhile, other district employees who faced initial punishment in April -- athletic director Greg Cooper and assistant boys coach Alberto Maldonado -- have not had their punishments reduced by board members. Cooper was fired from his job in April and remains unemployed; Maldonado also was fired and will not be considered to return to coaching at Eastside, according to the Paterson Press story.

Both Cooper and Maldonado are outsiders who have no longstanding ties to the Paterson school district.

"I'm upset," Maldonado said. "Let's say Juan wins his appeal and he gets his job back. Now myself and Cooper are left out. The optics are that Cooper and myself were the guys that did something wrong and that's so far from the truth it's not even funny."

Maldonado said no one from the school district has asked him what went on in the basketball program, adding that it seems "like they're ignoring it."

"I was there," Maldonado continued. "To me, Juan walked around like he had more power than the athletic director. Everything started and finished with Juan."